#43
Post
by charles adams » 07 Mar 2005, 04:37
You got it. The company began forming during the fighting for the hedgerows around 2 Shermans. The tanks turned out to be of such use that as the fighting continued all kinds of additional equipment was scrounged, captured and/or stolen. The final tally was 2 6 tank platoons, including 1 105 Sherman and 5 Shermans of various models and armerment. 1 platoon of 4Panthers and 1 Tiger. As the fighting swept across France the regiments (I forget which one) also managed, for a while to mechinize most of one battalion with various halftacks and Kangaroos. These were US, UK and German halftracks and the roos were either pilfered/borrowed or stolen from the Brits or were field modifications to Shermans or Stuarts. The heavy weapons company also had some Stugs and PzJgr and JagrPz.
By the time of the Hurtgen (sp) Forest most of the vehicles were dead lined by lack of parts and crews. The crews had been stripped and used as infantry during that blood bath. After the Hrut forest and the Bulge the company was recontituted as replacements came in. I was told that towards the end in '45 the tank company was stronger and larger with most of the regiment being mech/motorized.
The individual to told me about the company was an uncle who served as a TC on one of the Shermans and later for the Tiger. He also said that they were thinking that they were going to go the the Pacific after the Japs and they had "aquired" enought halftracks for the whole regiment with all of the weapons platoons and companies having their own armored weapons i.e. mortor carriers, tank destroyers and sp AA. About 90% was German including one SP 88 AA gun.